Abode of the Damned
by Satanic Nocturne
Summary: Her life was of no meaning or purpose, bound by the chains of fate that were her demise. By the thrilling touch of another, she sought the one thing she thought she could not have: Love. A KikyoSesshomaru story.
1. The Begining of Nothing

Disclaimer: Inuyasha does not belong to me. End of story.  
  
Note: This is a bit AU, it comes before Naraku kidnaps Kikyo and does whatever he does to her to make her more evil. Also, please, no flames, if you do not like the story, go read another one, if you hate it, well I don't care, I would rather receive some constructive criticism like "The characters are so and so..." not "You are a mother f . . .!", etc, etc.  
Abode of the Damned  
  
The moon shone in incomparable beauty in the dead of the night. The drab land in which it poured its radiance upon seemed devoid of life. Not a breath, not word, not even a sound could disrupt the thunderous silence.  
  
Beautiful.  
  
The bleak surroundings were stark in appearance. The uncertainty of the surroundings seized your stomach in fear and hopelessness, twisting it into nauseating onslaughts. Even the bravest demon, would cower and cringe in the utter stillness.  
  
Malevolent.  
  
Wind tousled whatever lay in its path about. It blew leaves from their branches, stealing them away from their giver of life. Forcing them into a dance and discarding them on the ground after it left. What would happen to them once they touched the surface of the earth? They would deteriorate. No longer connected to the source of their energy, they would shrivel up and join the corpses of the dead in the soil.  
  
Dead humans.  
  
In the soil.  
  
There was once a time when the incorporeal being Kikyo was the owner of a warm human body. When she could once feel her heart beating against her ribcage and life force flowing within her veins. Fate on the other hand, twisted her into its web of cruelty, sending her to the abode of the dead. And still yet, it refused to let her go. Perhaps it had bestowed her with mercy, a new life, but in the end she was still condemned. Resurrection was not a blessing, it was another round of hell.  
  
What was she?  
  
Even she, the long dead priestess Kikyo, could not answer this. To find the solution to a question of no value meant nothing...she was nothing. Her long ebony hair danced around her beautiful face. Kikyo's bloodless skin looked as if it was powdered with a white substance, giving her the appearance of a phantom. Within her eyes, a yearning look was displayed. She would not dare to appear so vulnerable in the open, but would do so only on a dark night like this. Only on a night in which she felt no one in the surrounding area. Only on a night when she was alone.  
  
Alone.  
  
Following her every step where her soul gatherers. They slithered here and about in their grotesque, lissome manner, never moving ahead or behind the priestess. Within their small claws they clasped small orbs that were actually the souls of humans, taken in order to sustain her "life". It was necessary.  
  
Necessary.  
  
She could always end it all. Simple kill her own being. Suicide seemed like a lovely option, it could offer her so much more...so much more than life could possibly now. But in the end, it would be another battle loss. This one with her own mind or better yet, what was left of it. This was a battle that did not concern other beings, not even Inuyasha. When she was alive, she was always trapped in a never-ending struggle. Her position as a priestess required much, and offered so little. The satisfaction of helping others was great, but not strong enough to over power the need to experience life. She longed to experience hate, desire, and power. All that which was unthinkable before, was as possible as anything now.  
  
Domination.  
  
The very definition of supremacy and authority walked several feet ahead of her. Not even he would stay indoors, he feared few, if any. To him, the pitch-black night was of no threat, he could handle it, or so he thought.  
  
Note: You better read the next chapter, you know you want to! 


	2. The Unraveling of the Spindle

Disclaimer: Again, I do not own Inuyasha, case closed.  
  
Curiosity  
  
He stopped walking when he caught sight of her. Only once had he seen a being that held any resemblance to her. Inuyasha's woman. It couldn't be. Her eyes were sorrowful, any fool could see that, whatever lay beyond was incomprehensible, to the point that it was undeniably intriguing. Their scents did not even match. Her scent held something to it that no human being was capable of possessing. Was she even alive?  
  
Kikyo had stopped walking when she caught sight of him too. At first, from the bottom up, she had mistaken him for Inuyasha, but as her eyes continued to wander up, she found that she was sadly mistaken. He had the same golden eyes and silver hair as the hanyou, but was far more beautiful, if that was even possible for a man to ascertain. She took in every detail of his face, the claw marks on the area of his cheekbones, the paint on his eyelids, and the blue crescent moon upon his forehead, where his hair was conveniently parted into two. His eyes contained no emotion and his lips were curved in neither smile nor frown.  
  
Nothing.  
  
His eyes searched hers as hers searched his in an attempt to read one another. Their attempt was futile, yet they still stared, not one willing to look away. Kikyo stared into his amber depths, completely at a loss for words. Her reflection appeared in them, and only then did she understand. This was no ordinary man.  
  
Her thoughts were disrupted by a little giggle that erupted from a bush. It shook a little bit, causing several leaves to fall. Kikyo directed her attention from the male demon to the moving bush.  
  
" Rin, Jaken, come out." The silver haired demon said in a crisp, cool, commanding tone.  
  
Out popped an ugly toad demon and an ecstatic little girl. A human girl. As soon as they both caught sight of Sesshoumaru and the priestess, they fell silent. Both knew better than to speak when it was not needed. Even in their muteness, the little girl wore a huge grin and soon busied herself with the leaves by throwing them up in the air.  
  
Kikyo gazed at the little girl in confusion, wondering what on earth was she doing with a dangerous demon, perhaps he had tricked her...  
  
The horrendous toad demon interrupted her thoughts by shaking his staff and saying, "Priestess! Do you not recognize who it is you were looking at? He is Sesshomaru, the Great Lord of the Western Lands!"  
  
"Jaken, be quiet." Sesshomaru said without even sparing the demon a glance. He continued.  
  
"Priestess, what is your name and why do you walk among the living?"  
  
"My name..." She began coldly, " is Kikyo, that is all you need to know".  
  
Sesshomaru raised an inquisitive eyebrow. " You tread on my grounds, it is imperative that you respond."  
  
Kikyo stared at him in defeat, he was the lord of the Western lands and she was treading on his grounds. To not respond to his inquiry would be a death wish in itself. Her only means of defense at the moment were her soul gatherers, and she had never attempted to steal the soul of a demon. Her arrows would not help her either, they were not even out. By the time she would be able to shoot him, he would have already moved and attacked.  
  
The wind blow her tresses about her face, almost signalizing her defeat. Never would she tell one about herself so openly, but in this case, she had no choice.  
  
"There was once a time" she began in a slightly regretful voice "where I was a living being, that, was 50 years ago. I was murdered and resurrected by the powers of demon sorcery, and have treaded upon the earth since."  
  
Sesshoumaru seemed satisfied by the statement but abruptly demanded, "Explain to me why the stench of Inuyasha," he said his sibling's name after a pause, "seems to be found on your clothes. Perhaps you know of his whereabouts."  
  
Kikyo's head shot up at the mention of the half-demon and cursed herself for doing so.  
  
"Is Inuyasha of any importance to you that you feel the need to ask such a question?" Kikyo stated boldly.  
  
"He is my half-brother" he stated with a slight hint of disgust in his voice.  
  
Kikyo's eye widened a little bit at the new information, the resemblance between the two was barely evident.  
  
"Again, what relation do you have with him?" Sesshomaru demanded without raising his tone higher.  
  
She hesitated. "He and I were...once in love, but that was many years ago, before I was killed."  
  
Sesshomaru was instantly amused, not only had his brother been in love with a woman, a human woman to which there was no surprise, but the new wench he loved looked almost exactly the same as the one that stood before him now.  
  
"You have not answered my question completely."  
  
Kikyo shot him a dangerous look and replied in a voice with pride "I was the one that pinned Inuyasha to the God Tree with my enchanted arrow. He attempted to steal the jewel, which I was to protect. He betrayed and injured me. Now I seek revenge, and will gain it by sending him to the depths of hell."(A/N: Was it Kikyo or Naraku in disguise that sent Inuyasha to hell? Well, it's Kikyo for now!)  
  
"That would be hard for a mere priestess to do while he wields the Tetsusaiga." Sesshoumaru replied.  
  
Kikyo was not surprised by his response, he spoke of his brother with a tinge of disgust, leading to the conclusion that they held a strong dislike for each other. During the times of her short-lived romance with Inuyasha, he never spoke of his brother.  
  
"A mere priestess? I think not, the fool would never even raise a hand to strike me!" Kikyo replied in an angered tone and reached for her bow and arrow. She quickly stopped once she realized that the young girl was still there, instead, Kikyo walked away. She had no time to deal with fools.  
  
"That would be to an advantage, for both you and I." Sesshoumaru stated while looking at her directly, refusing to even make the slightest skin contact with the undead priestess.  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
"If I help you retrieve the Tetsusaiga, you will grant me true life with the use of your sword?"  
  
"I will keep my end of the deal if you keep yours."  
  
"How can I be sure that you will do so?"  
  
"My word" Sesshoumaru began, "is good enough."  
  
The desire this man held for Inuyasha's sword was evident in the way he spoke of it, as if it was a weapon that belonged to the gods themselves. It was something he wanted, just as she wanted Inuyasha's death. True life after the gaining of the sword, seemed to be an extra in the package that she could do without, but being allowed to truly exist amongst the living without being bothered, was good enough for her.  
  
Kikyo had acquired a certain amount of freedom in her new life. Being the priestess of her old village held her within herself. Without her bindings, she could do as she willed without the questioning of others. Reaching an alliance with the male demon could be a good thing if she allowed it to. Kikyo was not sure if he would keep his end of the deal. His word meant little to one who did not know him, so building a level of understanding with him might ensure her, her gaining in the deal.  
  
Rin, whose presence seemed to vanish off the face of the earth during the conversation, had made herself noticed. She had soon gone up to Sesshoumaru, tugged at his kimono and asked, "Sesshoumaru-sama, can Rin make friends with the pretty lady?"  
  
Even though he did not know the priestess well enough, he knew that she was not stupid enough kidnap or kill Rin. She was smarter than the average human and knew her place. By the look in her eyes, he could tell that she desired death of his brother. To harm Rin would prevent her from doing so. Thus, Sesshoumaru allowed Rin to greet Kikyo, but warned the undead priestess first. Rin skipped towards Kikyo and said, "My name is Rin! What is yours?"  
  
Kikyo gave the girl a small smile (which seemed uncharacteristic of her given her behavior earlier) and said, "My name is Kikyo".  
  
"Kikyo" The little girl said, allowing the name to roll of her tongue. "That's a pretty name". After thinking for a millisecond the girl said "Rin loves to pick flowers! Does Kikyo like to too?"  
  
"Yes, there are some nice flowers in this area..." Her voice trailing off.  
  
"Then Rin and Sesshoumaru and Kikyo can go pick them together!"  
  
Note: PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
I really need it! Come on, just for me? *gives a busted up puppy dog expression* Oh come on, wipe that look of your face and review dammit! 


	3. Author's Note

Author's Note: If you want me to continue, I need at least 6-10 reviews. I won't be writing for a few days because of the Columbia Space Shuttle. I am really depressed now, I had one of my projects aboard the shuttle, but that is not the cause of my sadness, I actually met the family of the astronauts and saw the launch go off right beneath the flag they show near it on TV. Please give me some time. 


	4. Remains of What is Burned

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is not mine. Period.  
  
Thanks to all my reviewers! Without you, I would not have even completed this chapter! So, I want to give special thanks to S saiyan Vegeta4013, shikome kido mi, Yukina, Sho Tsuzuku, drake, Ali, Bonnie Yang, my cousin Ashley, and xfantasyx. Thanks so much!  
  
Note: Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! I thought I was only going to get one, but I got 10! Yeah, now I have lots of motivation! Sometimes I switch from the Japanese terms to the American ones, so I apologize for that ahead of time. Also, I have been watching my Inuyasha tapes over and over again to try to understand Sesshoumaru's character. From my little homework assignment, I realized that Sesshoumaru is not as cold hearted as many authors portray him. If you watch the episode where he resurrects Rin (including the one before it), he shows more emotion than usual and actually seems to have a slight sense of humor. He actually smiles and takes time to throw rocks at Jaken when the ugly toad is behaving stupidly (lol I would too). One more thing, Rin might be a little OOC now and then because I haven't seen or read much about her. I am basing her character on the impression I received from reading many fics with her in it. It would be nice if I got some tips on her character *hint hint*.  
  
Remains of What is Burned  
  
Kikyo watched the little girl in awe. Never had she seen a being with such enthusiasm. The young one didn't even seem to mind the fact that her only companions were a demon lord, a despicable toad demon, and for the time being, an undead priestess.  
  
"Does Kikyo not want to pick any flowers?" Rin stated in a sad voice while looking at Kikyo's feet.  
  
The priestess laughed a little, stood up, and walked in the direction of the young girl.  
  
"I do want to pick flowers with you Rin, I'm just thinking"  
  
The girl shuffled her feet about and asked, "What is Kikyo thinking about?" She smiled warmly at the young girl who was beginning to grow on her. She was too cute to dislike! "Nothing of any importance, don't worry about it at all, let's gather some more flowers to..."  
  
"Bring to Sesshoumaru!!" Rin yelled enthusiastically, throwing her hands and unfortunately her mini-bouquet up into the air.  
  
The priestess stifled a chuckle and helped Rin grab the flowers that were gently floating down towards the ground.  
  
"That can wait awhile, let's try to pick these up..."  
  
**************************************************************************** **  
  
Sesshoumaru watched Rin and the priestess attempt to catch the flowers that were caught in the wind. He was aware of the fact that the creature was not comfortable "picking" flowers for him, he wouldn't be if in her position. Sesshoumaru smiled slightly, as Jaken had once said, his resume was one long death wish.  
  
He sat within the shadows near a tree, for the purpose of watching over Rin. He had joined forces with the undead priestess Kikyo, but that did not mean that he had complete trust in her. Sesshoumaru did not think she would harm the girl, but precaution measures where necessary.  
  
He had observed how the priestess would almost change personalities when speaking with Rin. To him, she was cold, distant, almost unpredictable. Her conduct varied from time to time, making it virtually impossible to predict what she would say or do next. Even in the short amount of time they had spent together, the complex creature never ceased to amaze him in the process of her actions.  
  
Kikyo acknowledged his presence by the simple turn of her head and the meeting of their eyes. In her he saw a depth of desolation that had been dug too deep to ever be rooted out, and it fascinated him. The only person whose eyes had ever came close to such dejection was that of his mother's. The female demon had been forgotten of when the human wench stepped into his father's life.  
  
Kikyo had sensed the demon Lord's proximity long before she and Rin had begun picking flowers, but paid him no mind. When she had finally turned to his direction, he appeared to be in deep contemplation, with a thoughtful look on his face (which had surprised her). When Sesshoumaru finally looked to her, he got up and walked away.  
  
She sighed and continued to help Rin, who had found a found another flower.  
  
"Look Kikyo!" the little girl exclaimed holding up her flower in her hands, "This flower reminds Rin of Sesshoumaru!"  
  
"This daisy reminds you of Sesshoumaru?" questioned Kikyo as she took the flower in her hand.  
  
"Yes, doesn't Kikyo see it?" Rin began. "It has white and yellow, just like Sesshoumaru's hair and eyes!"  
  
Kikyo smiled, "Let's put this one in the group too."  
  
**************************************************************************** **  
  
"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin yelled, "Where are you? Rin and Kikyo are looking for you!"  
  
Kikyo led Rin into the area where she had met the trio before and was greeted by a not-so-happy Jaken and a silent Sesshoumaru.  
  
"Look Sesshoumaru!" Rin began while shoving her bouquet into Sesshoumaru's hands, "Look at the pretty flowers Kikyo helped Rin pick! And they are all for Sesshoumaru!"  
  
The one daisy fell from the group, landing near Kikyo's feet. She picked it up and held it close.  
  
**************************************************************************** **  
  
Note: Yeah I know, it was sappy and boring, but I need some character development, right? Can I get at least 5-10 reviews before the next chapter? It would be nice and it would get me to update faster... 


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